20 Random Facts about Dolphins

Get ready to dive into the world of dolphins. Here are 20 random but fascinating facts about these intelligent and playful marine animals.

1. Dolphins, porpoises, and whales are all mammals from the family ‘Cetaceans’, which is from the Greek word meaning “sea monster”.

2. There are 42 known species of Dolphin, including Bottlenose Dolphin, Orcas (Killer Whales), Spinner Dolphin and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin.

3. Wild dolphins have been seen playing with coconuts.

4. If a dolphin is unwell, other dolphins will help it to the surface to breath.

5. Ancestors of dolphins walked the earth 50 million years ago. They are distant cousins of land animals, including deer, hippos, and bisons.

6. Dolphins have a hole in the top of their heads which they use to breathe.

7. When humans take a normal breath, they replace only 15% of the air in their lungs. When dolphins take a breath, they replace 90% of the air in their lungs.

8. A two-headed dolphin was found in western Turkey in 2014.

9. Scientists who have studied dolphin behaviour believe that dolphins have the longest memory in the animal kingdom.

10. In an experiment scientists learnt that Dolphins can talk and understand each other over the phone.

11. Some dolphins can understand as many as 60 words.

12. A baby dolphin (know as a dolphin calf) is born underwater tail-first. After the mother gives birth, she must immediately take it to the surface to breathe.

13. A dolphin can make about 700 clicking sounds per second. The clicks come from deep inside the dolphin’s head.

14. Every year, a dolphin’s teeth grow a new layer, similar to the rings inside a tree trunk. Scientists can tell how old a dolphin is from the layers on its teeth.

15. Dolphins can move each eye independently. They can move each eye up, down, forward, and backward, giving them nearly 360 degrees of vision.

16. Dolphins typically do not live alone, but rather in schools or pods. Large pods can have 1,000 members or more.

17. Some scientists think that dolphins can use their high-pitched sounds to stun or paralyze fish while hunting.

18. Dolphins cannot swim backward, which makes it difficult for them to escape fishing nets. If they can’t get to the surface, they can drown in a matter of minutes.

19. Pink dolphins, called “botos,” are actually albino dolphins. They typically live in Brazil, but have been seen in the Gulf of Mexico.

20. The Dolphins is the name of professional American football team, The Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have appeared in five Super Bowls winning three. The mascot of the Miami Dolphins is known as ‘T.D.’ (The Dolphin).